


Eternally Yours

by iPsychosocial



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls Online
Genre: Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Daedra (Elder Scrolls), Dunmer (Elder Scrolls), Elder Scrolls Lore, Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Mild Smut, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:13:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27746530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iPsychosocial/pseuds/iPsychosocial
Summary: Ever wonder what transpired before Mannimarco became the infamous King of Worms?Nephelle's life was simple enough before she met Mannimarco, albeit, rather painful and lonely.All of that changed, however, when the two mer crossed paths in the most unconventional way imaginable.And while love and trust may grow between the two, something more sinister begins to infect Mannimarco's mind.Will their bond prevail over all the strife they come to endure? Or will their one true chance at happiness be crushed under the cruel hand of Molag Bal?(co writer: @xoAssassino)
Relationships: Mannimarco (Elder Scrolls)/Original Female Character(s), Mannimarco/Female Vestige (Elder Scrolls), Mannimarco/Vestige (Elder Scrolls)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12





	Eternally Yours

Nephelle sat propped up against a tree that rested upon a grassy hill overlooking the clear blue waters that separated her from the coast of Shimmerene. She arrived in Auridon earlier that week, her thirst for new experiences and knowledge had landed her in the Vulkhel Guard. 

Though she didn’t stay in the city long, she wasn’t too keen on dealing with the abhorrent attitude the Altmer residents had towards her mixed heritage. 

Being the spawn of a Dunmer and a Nord had never been easy, but at least in Skyrim, she had earned the respect of the local Nords. Well, most of them. The Altmer were a ruthless people to those they deemed to be of the ‘lesser races’, it almost made her homesick.  _ Almost. _

She was proud of her heritage, despite the hatred she had become oh so familiar with receiving in her years on Nirn. 

She was an objectively beautiful mer, mostly taking after her mother in appearance. She had her mother’s long, silvery-white locks, high cheekbones, full lips, and button nose. The only true tells of her mixed heritage were her icy blue doe eyes, the strange, pale lavender hue of her skin, and the slight Nordic accent she had. 

She was clad in form-fitting, black leather armor. The set was an expensive one where she had taken many difficult jobs to pay for it. Being a mercenary was tough, but undeniably rewarding. Though she certainly didn’t buy into the whole hero trope, she never wanted to glorify what came with her line of work. Only a monster could kill others without feeling remorse, even if they were lowly bandits and, at times, murders. She never took pleasure in it, but someone has to do it.

Her long silver locks cascaded freely over her shoulders, blowing in the gentle breeze as she sat cross-legged with a spell tome in hand. She had come to Auridon specifically to expand her knowledge of magick, and she had been lucky enough to take a few tomes off the hands of one of the mystics in the Vulkhel Guard before she departed.

Her nose was currently buried in a spell of detect life, something that would surely prove to be useful during upcoming jobs. 

She hummed softly to herself as she concentrated on shifting her magicka into the spell, a small smile appearing on her lips as the faint auras of the various local fauna began to glow in her vision,  _ ‘Well, that was easy’ _ she thought. 

It wasn’t long before Nephelle was completely engrossed in her independent studies, the world around her melting away, the gentle sounds of nature lulling her into a trance of sorts. There couldn’t be a more perfect place to hone her skills.

As much as she hated to admit it, the Summerset Isles was an absolutely stunning place to behold. It was such a shame its inhabitants were such a racist and hateful bunch.

Though, that much could probably be said about a lot of Tamriel.

Nephelle shook those thoughts from her mind, sighing as she snapped shut the tome she held. Her gaze fell onto the tome that had been clawing for her attention, a spell of conjure flame atronach. An apprentice level spell, and a tad ambitious for a novice conjurer such as herself. However, she was feeling rather confident in her abilities today.

With only slight hesitancy she stood and lifted her hand, a writhing orb of black and purple appearing in her palm. Her pointed ears twitched nervously as she examined the ball of energy, a strange sense of dread settling in the pit of her stomach like a rock. Yet, she shoved those feelings away as she cast the spell on the grass before her. There was a metallic clang, and a small ring of blue flame singed the grass, but nothing else happened. 

Her brows furrowed in confusion, and she took a few steps forward to examine the anomaly. Only to be violently thrown back in an explosion of fire and shrapnel.

Her back collided with the tree with such force that it knocked the wind out of her, tears pricking her eyes as her head hit the wood with a thunk. Coarse bark ruthlessly tearing into the skin her armor left exposed. 

The spell had backfired, quite terribly. That much was evident.

The tranquil sounds of birds chirping and leaves blowing were drowned out by a piercing ringing, her vision doubling briefly. With a trembling hand she lightly patted her head, feeling a small trickle of blood travel down her temple and neck. 

"N’chow..." She grumbled, dragging her hand through the grass in a futile attempt to transfer the crimson liquid. 

She sat there for a moment, questioning every decision that led up to this point. Wondering what in Oblivion she did wrong, she cursed to herself quietly as she attempted to pull herself up from the scorched ground. With the ever-worsening dizziness and the aches that now wracked her body, this proved to be a rather difficult task, if not entirely futile. 

She cringed as the metallic taste of blood invaded her mouth, her face screwed up in disgust as she spat as much as she could out onto the blackened ground beneath her.

Biting back a gag, she resigned her attempts to stand, letting out a huff and wincing as she allowed her back to rest on the tree once more.

She could hardly see anything through the smoke that had accumulated from her little incident. Still, she scanned the area in an attempt to assess the damage she had done.

Her eyes widened as they landed on a charred satchel that sat a few feet away from her,  _ her  _ charred satchel. A rush of adrenaline hit her as she managed to get to her hands and knees, charcoal sticking to her now blood-soaked hands as she scrambled to the blackened leather bag. 

"No no no no no!" She croaked out as she tore it open, all the while letting a string of colorful words trickle from her lips. Her notes and supplies were destroyed, crumbling in her hands as she tried to pull them out to examine them. 

Nephelle only stopped her frantic search for a quick coughing fit as the smoke and ash invaded her lungs. The small elf was completely distraught, all of her worldly possessions were in that bag,now reduced to nothing but ash. If she had the capacity to in that moment, she likely would’ve cried,but her strength was rapidly waning. Her head was swimming from the blood loss that just didn’t seem to slow, not even slightly. 

She did her best to compose herself, still lightly coughing as she pulled the few items that survived the inferno from the bag. Nothing useful, a potion of stamina, and a spare dagger. She hissed at the sensation of blood trickling into her eye - it stung like a bitch. Just adding to the plethora of uncomfortable sensations wracking her small body. 

She reached down and tugged at the shirt she wore under her armor, using her dagger to cut away a small strip before dropping the blade into the grass. Wiping it across her eye and forehead, and brushing away her silver hair that was now partially matted in blood. The smell of copper and ash was so thick it caused her to stop and gag, such a stark contrast to the earlier smell of wildflowers and ocean breeze. 

She had to pause and rest her head in her hand, the mix of blood loss and smoke inhalation was making her head swim. And not in a fun way. She focused on her breathing for a few moments before trying and failing to rise to her feet. Quickly meeting the ground with a soft thud and a groan, the eerily comforting grasp of sleep clawed at her, she wanted so desperately to just… close her eyes.

  
  
  
  


➳

  
  
  
  


The amount of knowledge the Psijic Order possessed was nothing short of impressive to Mannimarco. His eyes scanned across the room, zoning in on the pile of books that were stacked on one of the tables. A smile playing across his lips, he decided he'd grab one at random to take.

"It's beautiful outside, Mannimarco," a voice chimed from behind.

"It usually always is," the Altmer turned around to greet the person.

Lilatha was another Altmer student with the Psijic Order. Fairly nice from the times he encountered her. But then again, he wasn't one to seek out company nor idle conversation.

"Come join me, Mannimarco. It would be a nice change of view from being cooped up in this tower."

He chuckled. "You've caught me in a rather enjoyable mood. I'll entertain it. Allow me to grab a book, and perhaps you can show me a spot worth studying at."

The smile on her face shined with radiance as she retreated for the portal that would take them outside. "Meet me when you've grabbed your supplies."

Grazing the stack of books with his fingertips, he decided to take three for his possession. He made it a mental note to go out searching for more around Summerset later today. As truth be told, he's already read most of what the Psijic Order had to offer. Since he spent most of his time away from people to focus on his studies, reading was his primary source of entertainment and academic research.

Shooing the thoughts away, he made his way outside to meet Lilatha.

Just as Mannimarco took a few steps out into the main chamber, Celarus approached him with a wide grin on his face.

"Are you needed somewhere right now, Mannimarco?"

"Lilatha wants me to meet with her outside, to relish in the beautiful weather outside while I study."

The Loremaster hardly gave him a nod before continuing. "Interesting. Anyway, I do have something to ask of you if you have plans to go out."

Celarus had motioned for him to come closer to his desk to see the notes he had scribbled down.

"If you can, I would like for you to collect some supplies for me. Normally, I would send Josajeh for this kind of work, but she's been stuck in her work."

"And you presume mine isn't important to attend to?" Mannimarco smirked.

The older Altmer smiled. "I'm sure you would also like an excuse to go book hunting at any rate."

Mannimarco rolled his eyes, nodding in agreement.

"I knew you couldn't resist. I just need more ink, an empty book, and some vials. That can all be gotten at any merchant, as you know. And do take your time. These aren't of the utmost importance anyhow."

"Of course, Loremaster Celarus."

With a wave of his hand, Mannimarco took the portal that would take him outside of the Ceporah Tower. Under most circumstances, he wouldn't have taken being told to run errands lightly. If anything, it was beneath him to do. But Celarus was right. He needed an excuse to go explore for a bit. Not that his studies were strict, but newer initiates were still relatively told to stay close for supervision.

Not that he cared for such trivial rules in any case.

Stepping outside, he saw Lilatha waiting by the fountain just beneath the tower. The sun shone brilliantly and the day was accompanied by a gentle breeze. He gave her a small smile as he walked up to her.

"Are you ready for me to show you my favorite spot? It'll be optimal for reading, while also staying cool from the sun's rays."

Mannimarco shook his head. "Unfortunately, I'll have to take you up on that offer another time. Loremaster Celarus has me running an errand for him since Josajeh is unavailable right now."

Before Lilatha could protest, the sounds of an explosion caught the pair off guard. A cloud of dark smoke floated into the air, only to be carried away by the wind a mere seconds later. The birds chirped relentlessly, as they flew away to escape the thunderous sounds. The mer gave Mannimarco a worried look.

“What do you think that was about? You think we should investigate it?”

“Well, I can. As I stated, Celarus needs me to go out on an errand for him, despite him knowing I detest such menial tasks. I’m sure it’s nothing, anyway.”

“Nothing? That had to have been on the mainland of Auridon… I understand we’re not that far, but that’s still alarming, is it not?”

“Based on the quick evaporation of the smoke, I would assume it was a spell that simply went a little haywire.”

Lilatha wanted to protest more but knew that most of Manniamrco’s assumptions usually ended up being correct. He wasn’t one of the brightest initiates with the Psijic Order for no reason. She could see why the Ritemaster favored him so much.

She shrugged and gave him a sigh. “Well, I have no reason to argue with you, especially since you usually end up being right anyway. Just know you’ll have to report your investigations with the Ritemaster.”

Mannimarco waved off Lilatha dismissively as began to walk to a more suitable place to cast a portal. “You know I will.”

His interest was slightly peaked since most of his time spent between the Summerset Isles was usually that of peace. While he wasn't too much of a fan of chaos, he did like some variation in his day-to-day life.

Mannimarco stared at a map of Summerset Isles. He pondered where he could portal to that would best lead him to the commotion. With the smoke visible even from Artaeum, there was a possibility that the explosion occurred somewhere near the shores of the mainland.

At least, that’s what he told himself.

“Just west of Tanzelwil seems like the best contender given the circumstances,” the Altmer muttered to himself.

Casting the portal in front of himself, Mannimarco stepped forward allowing the magicka to surround and envelop him, wisping him away from one location to another, all without getting hurt or suffering any types of mental ailments.

Some odd seconds later, he appeared onto the mainland. The beautiful trees surrounded him with the large mountainous terrain standing tall behind him. And what would’ve been the scent of the sea tickling his sense of smell, the repulsive smell of smoke ashes invaded instead. Looking toward the coastline, he spotted a young woman just beyond the treeline.

“Curious…” 

Mannimarco began to make his way to the woman but noticed the smoke still danced around the trees. It was thick and slowly started to obscure his vision, thus losing sight of the girl. He could smell the burning bark and grass from a considerable distance and started to feel his lungs fill with the smoke.

“How troublesome.” He coughed.

Waving his hands around him, Mannimarco was able to summon a protective bubble to encase him. He was able to morph his own variant after learning it from a former battlemage. Slowly, he walked into the forest of smoke in hopes of finding the woman that was trapped inside.

"Hello?" Mannimarco called out.

Nephelle had just let her eyes fall shut when a voice drifted through the fog that had settled in her brain.

"H-Hello?" She croaked as loudly as she could manage, her voice hoarse from the smoke, barely able to open her eyes as the darkness beckoned her with such intensity. 

_ ‘No! This isn’t how you die! Get up, you s’wit!’ _ Her mind practically screamed at her.

Garnering whatever scraps of strength she had left, she shakily rose to her feet.

She needed to find the source of that voice.

_ ‘Divines… I hope that wasn’t a trauma-induced hallucination, if it was… I’m well and truly fucked’  _ She couldn’t help thinking bitterly.

A sharp hiss sounded shortly after she stood, her temple exploding with another wave of pain. She pressed the bloodied rag she held against it as she began to shamble on towards the direction she thought she had heard the voice, her feet barely being able to carry her. Squinting in a futile attempt to see through the haze. 

Every so often she had to stop and cough, doing her best to catch her breath and stop her head from spinning. The longer she was up and moving the more she realized she didn’t have much time left. 

Mannimarco’s ears twitched at the sound of a voice calling back to him, although it sounded hoarse. Times like this he was thankful for the knowledge he held when it came to magicka, as well as being a fast learner. As the woman continued to cough, he traversed the smoke-filled area, his feet carrying him to the source of the sound.

"While it may not be the best thing in your circumstances, your cough is allowing me to follow where you're at. I hear you."

This had to have been the sight of the explosion. The Altmer was quite surprised by the smoke that remained. Most of it should have carried away with the ocean's winds by now… He contemplated what could've possibly happened as he searched. 

Twigs and leaves crunched underneath his feet as he continued to follow the sound of the coughs. It wouldn't be long before he found himself bumping into someone, presumably the woman he saw before the smoke enveloped her. Closing his eyes and waving his hands, Mannimarco focused on the protective bubble he made for himself, forcing it to expand to take in the woman so she was free from the choking hold of the smoke.

"I've not done this before… but I have no doubts it will work."

When Mannimarco bumped into the small Dunmer, it quite easily sent her tumbling straight onto her butt with what sounded like a yelp. She raised her hand back up to cradle her head as she craned her neck to look at the rather tall Altmer, her typically beautiful face was quite battered, smeared with blood and charcoal. Her feeble attempt to stop her bleeding temple wasn't helping that image in the slightest, to put it plainly, she looked horrifying. 

"Thank the divines, I thought I was going to bleed out here" her words were slightly slurred, her face twisted in a continuous look of pain.

Looking down at the woman, Mannimarco couldn't help but feel slightly repulsed. He wasn't used to seeing blood and the smell of smoke didn't quite negate points from the unappealing department. Could she have caused this?

Without thinking, he took off his Psijic Order robe he wore over his casual attire and used it to scoop the woman into his arms.

"Well, the explosion was heard from Artaeum and luckily for you, I had a reason to leave the island."

Slowly he walked through the smoke until the crunching of twigs turned into soft paddings of sand. The beautiful blue ocean greeted the pair, as the smoke seemed to stay behind them at the treelines.

Her head lulled slightly as she did her best not to bloody his clothes or the robe he wrapped her in, but she didn't have the energy to fight it. Her head rested against his forearm as she spoke softly "I'm not quite sure what happened" 

Setting the woman down on the sand gently, he dispersed the protective bubble that surrounded them, turning back around towards the trees.

"Well… I hope this works."

Waving his hands in a swirling motion, a gentle breeze began to blow into Mannimarco's direction before picking up speed and force. The overwhelming scent of the ocean began to swirl around the pair before Altmer threw his hands at the smoke as if commanding the fresh air he called upon.

When he placed her in the sand she used what little energy she had left to sit up, shivering and clutching his robes for dear life as she watched him work. Even in her almost glazed over eyes, she was clearly impressed at the power he showed, eyes fixated on the dispersing smoke in wonderment. She just sat in the sand, shaking like a leaf. She wasn't used to feeling so vulnerable. She hated it. She wished she had the energy to fight it, but alas, she didn't. She was helpless, but it seemed as though she was fortunate enough to have had a kind soul come across her instead of someone who'd rather do her harm.

Mannimarco stood back to watch his handiwork for a few moments. Elemental magicka seemed to be the hardest to tame, so he was proud of himself for being able to pull off what he did. The smoke dispersed within a matter of seconds as the refreshing scent of the ocean washed over the Altmer.

“Ah, there we go. That’s much better.”

Turning around to greet the woman, he was finally able to notice just how much of a toll the ordeal took on her. The trail of blood that started from her head continued to trickle onto her face. A few streaks of silver hair flowed if it wasn’t darkened by the ash or was matted. There was no doubt in his mind that she caused the explosion.

But by what means? 

He shoved the thoughts and curiosity from his mind. There would be plenty of time to ask questions after she received proper medical care. However, with no one in sight, it seemed that he would have to take matters into his own hands.

“Bear with me, my restoration magick isn’t exactly refined.”

Sitting on the sand next to the woman, he pulled her into his arms to get her to relax. The intimacy felt awkward to him but he needed to avoid overthinking the situation. Closing his eyes and clearing his mind, he focused the travel of magicka to flow from within to his hands. He could feel the comforting warmth of the restoration magicka travel through him and into the battered woman.

Nephelle whimpered as he brought her into his arms. The feeling was unnerving at first but she soon relaxed into him, suddenly not caring as the restoration magick slowly but surely stopped her bleeding, causing her pain to dwindle. 

Though her bleeding began to stop, she was still shaking quite terribly. She'd lost a fair amount of blood before he had found her. Her eyes drooped a bit, the sharp pain of her injuries no longer there to keep her clawing at consciousness.

She faded in and out of the blackness, reaching out and grasping his shirt in an attempt to stay grounded.

Mannimarco’s shoulders tensed as the woman grasped at his shirt so carelessly. Had the woman not been in her current state, he would’ve slapped it away. The only explanation was that she was slipping between consciousness and that of unconsciousness. He observed her face as her eyes fluttered open, only to snap shut a few seconds later. Her head bobbed repeatedly as well.

He thought about bringing her to Artaeum but shook his head as quickly as the idea came to him. “No… She needs healers, not scholars prodding at her condition.”

But looking back at her, he thought back in favor of it. Many of the Summerset Isles were too set in their ways of Altmeri supremacy. She wasn’t an elf… that he could see. He was sure that the mainland mages and healers would give him a hard time about it too, if not try something more extreme. Looking back towards the portal, he sighed.

“While the Ritemaster wouldn’t oppose, he’ll definitely have questions,” he thought out loud.

Picking up the woman in his arms, he made his way back to the portal and to the secluded island of the Psijic Order.

Nephelle watched between slow blinks as the Altmer man carried her towards the portal, a slight pang of guilt resonating in her belly as she murmured "Mmm.. I'm sorry". 

Her words were barely audible, and she wasn't quite sure why she had the overwhelming urge to apologize. But she wasn't able to dwell on them as her eyes closed a final time, her weak grasp on his shirt dropping, and her head lulling against his chest. 

She'd fought it with all of her might, but there was no way she could possibly stay conscious for another moment. Her last conscious thought was one of hope. 

She hoped that the mer's intentions were as good as they seemed, as she was completely at his mercy now.

Mannimarco felt the woman’s hand go limp, as the rest of her body seemed to slump into unconsciousness with her mind. 

He couldn’t help but feel a tad sorry for her, though he knew she would get good care. The only thing he only slightly felt guilty about as he stepped through the portal was the bombardment of questions she would undoubtedly get once she awakens. 

  
  



End file.
